Trouble Brewing ! (Corymbia gummifera)

This photo is tinged with a little bit of sadness for me. The massive tree in the photo is an ancient old growth Red Bloodwood of over 50m (175ft) height that was here when the first fleet ahem, 'arrived'. It was in the bush at the end of my street where I spent part of my childhood. I didn't know why but I was always drawn to this tree. I had watched it sway to impossible angles in strong windstorms - solidly anchored by its massive 2.5m (8ft) thick trunk. It was timeless and other worldly.

Imagine my sadness when I came home from school one day to find that the local council had chopped it down .... it was like walking in to the scene of a massacre. I remember thinking - "you stupid men .... Why !!?"

Apparently it had been chopped down "just in case" it fell on the closest house which was within range of its upper branches ....... just so sad .....

I had a closer look at the stump that was left and it was totally solid ! I counted hundreds and hundreds of growth rings ..... oh the stories this giant could tell .......

This shot shows the old growth elder emergent above the regular 20-30m high trees surrounding it, and Cumulonimbus clouds which would build up and up and up like angry cotton wool billowing higher and higher until the Summer Storm finally broke - I would watch it for hours :)